1. Causes of aortic aneurysm
Aneurysms can occur throughout the body but the most common is the abdominal aortic aneurysm. The incidence of aneurysms increases with age, but aneurysms can occur at any age as a result of degeneration, including natural conditions, infections, genetics, and trauma. The disease has serious consequences, with about 50% of cases dying from aneurysm rupture if left untreated.
2. Classification of aortic aneurysms
There are two types of aortic aneurysms, which affect different parts of the body:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm: A bulge forms along the part of the aorta that passes through the abdomen.
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm: A bulge forms along the part of the aorta that passes through the chest cavity.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms are more common than thoracic aortic aneurysms. This is because the walls of the thoracic aorta are thicker and stronger than the walls of the abdominal aorta.
Some people develop bulges in both the aortic and thoracic walls. This condition is called thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.
For abdominal aortic aneurysmAlthough the exact cause of abdominal aortic aneurysms is unknown, researchers think several factors may play a role, including:
- Tobacco. Smoking and other forms of tobacco use are among the most important factors associated with the development of aortic aneurysms. In addition to the direct harmful effects that tobacco has on the arteries, smoking contributes to atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and causes aneurysms to grow more rapidly.
- High blood pressure . High blood pressure, especially if poorly controlled, increases the risk of developing an aortic aneurysm.
- Infection in the aorta (vasculitis) . In rare cases, an aortic aneurysm can be caused by an infection or inflammation (vasculitis) that weakens part of the aortic wall. There is often a pattern of aneurysms developing among family members, which means it can be hereditary.
Aneurysms can occur throughout the body but the most common is an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
For thoracic aortic aneurysm
While the same risk factors associated with abdominal aortic aneurysms can contribute to thoracic aortic aneurysms, several additional factors can lead to a thoracic aortic aneurysm, including:
- Marfan syndrome. People born with Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the body’s connective tissues, are at particular risk for thoracic aortic aneurysms. People with Marfan syndrome may have weaknesses in the wall of the aorta that make them more susceptible to aneurysms. Marfan syndrome is often characterized by distinct physical features, including tall stature, very long arms, a deformed breastbone, and eye problems.
- Aortic injury . You are more likely to have a thoracic aortic aneurysm if there has been a previous problem with the aorta, such as a cut into the aortic wall (aortic dissection).
- Trauma . Some people injured in falls are at risk of developing thoracic aortic aneurysms.
- Aortic dissection is a life-threatening emergency.
3. Symptoms of aortic aneurysm
Aortic aneurysms are usually asymptomatic. Patients often discover they have an aortic aneurysm by chance when they are being examined for other conditions.
For abdominal aortic aneurysms, sometimes patients can feel an abnormal mass, pulsating with the heartbeat, around the navel.
For thoracic aortic aneurysms, patients often have no symptoms, or non-specific chest pain, symptoms of compression of surrounding organs such as cough, hoarseness, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, even coughing up blood. When in doubt, a chest CT scan with contrast is indicated.
Patients with aortic aneurysms need to be monitored and treated medically at cardiovascular centers.
4. Prevention of aortic aneurysm
There is no medication that can prevent aortic aneurysms. Prevention is based on risk management, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking, all of which are risk factors for aortic aneurysms that need to be treated and closely monitored. We should:
- Quit smoking and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke
- Change your diet: Reduce salt and limit foods high in bad cholesterol in your diet, increase chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, do not drink soft drinks and carbonated drinks...
- Avoid strenuous activities: Activities such as carrying heavy objects, climbing mountains, high-intensity exercise, etc. can aggravate existing aneurysms. Instead, you should exercise moderately with cardiovascular exercises such as walking, swimming, yoga, cycling, etc.
- Reduce stress: Try to control your emotions so you don't get too stressed, take time to rest to avoid falling into a state of constant worry. This will help prevent blood pressure from spiking, preventing the risk of aneurysm rupture.
5. How to treat aortic aneurysm
Patients with aortic aneurysms need to be monitored and treated medically at cardiovascular centers. Surgery is indicated when the transverse diameter of the aortic aneurysm is >5cm or the aneurysm is saccular in any size.
Currently, there are 2 surgical methods for the above pathology: open surgery and stent graft placement.
- With open surgery: The doctor opens the chest or abdomen, removes the aneurysm in the aorta, and sews a synthetic graft in place to repair the artery.
- With the continuous development of science and technology, the stent graft method is becoming more and more popular and has shown its superiority in the treatment of aortic aneurysm. The surgery time is short (less than 1 hour), and the patient can be discharged from the hospital only 2-3 days after surgery. This method is especially effective for elderly patients and patients with many risk factors.
However, there is also a high risk of death and complications if the accompanying medical conditions, especially cardiovascular diseases, are not well screened and controlled. After the intervention, the patient needs to be closely monitored for clinical symptoms to promptly detect complications for timely treatment.
Summary: Aortic aneurysm is a disease that occurs mainly in the elderly, often accompanied by severe internal medical conditions, many risk factors, often without clinical symptoms or vague, nonspecific symptoms.
Screening for abdominal aortic disease should be performed routinely in elderly patients with multiple risk factors such as smoking, coronary artery disease, and dyslipidemia.
Source
Comment (0)